1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to enclosures, more particularly, to an enclosure for mechanical, electrical, electronic components, and associated wiring and circuitry.
2. Prior Art
Enclosures are commonly used to provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with enclosed equipment and to provide a degree of protection against the surrounding environment for enclosed equipment. Typical enclosures include a box and a door sealed thereto. Frequent access to the components within such enclosures is common for adjustments, maintenance, and inspection of the components. Components within the enclosure may also be changed or replaced as the demand therefor changes. Typically, the components are fastened to a panel inside the enclosure. Panels and components must typically be dismounted from the interior of the enclosure and replaced by other components. In view of the increasing demand for and availability of improved electrical components, components are replaced quite frequently.
Conventional enclosures include interior structures to which components may be mounted with screws and the like. Not all components are equally sized, and adjustments must be made for various configurations of components mounted within an enclosure. Additionally, the time to remove and replace components adds to the cost of operating a system. One solution to this problem is posed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,596 which discloses an enclosure having interior corners which accept a mounting structure. However, the type of mounting structures used with that enclosure are limited.
Covers and doors are used to close the open end of the box. A cover is an unhinged portion of an enclosure that covers an opening; a door is a hinged portion of an enclosure that covers an opening. Screw fastener removal to gain access to the interior of the enclosure is cumbersome and adds to the time and expense in using the enclosure. To overcome this problem, certain enclosures include hinges and a quick-release-type fastener. A quick-release-type fastener is useful in many environments, but when access to the components is restricted, such fasteners may not be suitable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,421 describes a detachable fastener which is slidably received on the exterior of an enclosure yet allows for locking of the door to the box. This fastener requires highly-specialized contours on the exterior of the box to create surfaces for engaging the fastener.
Hence, a need remains for an enclosure which allows for rapid replacement of components therein.
This need is met by the enclosure of the present invention which includes a box having a base, an open end, and a box wall extending from the base. A support member having (i) an elongated base with a mounting surface and an exposed surface is releasably attached to the base and side wall, and (ii) a longitudinal rib extending from the exposed surface. Preferably, the corners of the box wall are angular to provide a flat area where a releasable support member can be attached in each of the corners.
A mounting bracket slidably engages the rib of the support member via a groove defined in the underside thereof and includes an engaging member configured to detachably receive a panel or frame on which equipment is mounted. The support member defines a plurality of first apertures, and the mounting bracket defines a second aperture alignable with one of the first apertures to receive a fastener therethrough, thereby fixing a position of the mounting bracket relative to the base.
The engaging member may include a leg defining an aperture for receiving a fastener to secure a panel, frame, or equipment to the engaging member. Alternatively, the engaging member defines a pin receiving opening, the longitudinal axis of the pin receiving opening being parallel to the base of the box and constructed such that a panel or frame having a hinge pin received within said pin receiving opening can rotate relative to the box.
The box wall includes an elongated, raised portion extending from the base and having an end at a position spaced from the open end and including a support member engaging member. In one embodiment, the support member engaging member includes a ledge extending from the raised portion, thereby forming a gap between the ledge and the box wall. The support member further includes a flange received within the gap and releasably engaged with the ledge. Alternatively, the end of the raised portion defines a hole, and the support member includes a pin releasably received in the hole of the raised portion. The base includes a mounting member, and the support member further includes a base leg defining a hole and a fastener extending through the hole in the base leg and into the mounting member to further secure the support member to the box.
The enclosure further includes a door having a planar member and a cover wall configured to abut the box wall when the door is closed over the open end of the box. One side of the door includes an integrally-formed door hinge sleeve. A box hinge sleeve is integrally formed on the open end of the box wall, and the box hinge sleeve and the door hinge sleeve are longitudinally aligned with a hinge pin removably received therein.
The door may be secured to the box via a quick-release-type fastener or by a screw fastener. The quick-release-type fastener of the present invention is attached to the box via a rib extending from an end of the wall towards the base. The rib has a dovetail cross-sectional configuration, wherein a lower portion of the rib is narrower than an upper portion of the rib. The fastener includes a base defining a channel slidably receiving the raised portion and a securing member which engages the door to secure the door to the box.
A complete understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures wherein like reference characters identify like parts throughout.